American actor Ben Stiller met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in kyiv on Monday, to whom he expressed his admiration for his action since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
"It's a great honor for me... You are my hero," United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Stiller said when meeting Volodymyr Zelensky, himself a former actor. on the occasion of World Refugee Day, according to images released by the Ukrainian presidency.
"What you have done, the way you have mobilized the country, the world, is truly an inspiration," added the 56-year-old American, referring to the countless speeches by Volodymyr Zelensky intended for audiences around the world to get help for his country.
Visit to Irpin
Earlier in the day, Ben Stiller had visited Irpin, a suburb of kyiv, where fierce fighting took place at the start of the invasion.
It is also the closest point to the capital ever reached by the Russian army.
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"I feel like it's hard to understand what's really going on here without coming here," he told the president.
"I was in Irpin this morning (...) and the real level of destruction, you see it on TV, you see it on social media, but it's another thing to really see it, to feel it and then talk to people.
Speaking in English, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Ben Stiller for his visit and told him it was "very important" for him to remind the world of what is happening in Ukraine.
“It is essential for us that people do not forget.
It is not interesting to talk about the war every day (...) but for us it is very important”, explained the Ukrainian leader.
Two comedians
The pair also discussed their shared interest in comedy while laughing.
“You have given up a great acting career,” launched Ben Stiller, famous for comedy films like “Night at the Museum” or “My Stepfather”.
“Not as much as yours,” retorted Volodymir Zelensky, who before being elected in 2019 starred in “Servant of the People,” a satirical series about a high school teacher who accidentally becomes president of Ukraine.
